What is the concentration of a base required to neutralize 20.00 mL of a 0.100 M acid solution, assuming a 1:1 molar ratio in the reaction?

• A. 0.010 M
• B. 0.100 M
• C. 0.200 M
• D. 0.050 M

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the balanced chemical equation for the neutralization reaction. Since it's a 1:1 molar ratio, the equation can be represented as: \( \text{HA} + \text{BOH} \rightarrow \text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{BA} \), where HA is the acid and BOH is the base.
2. Calculate the moles of acid present in the solution. Use the formula: \( \text{moles of acid} = \text{concentration} \times \text{volume} \). Here, the concentration of the acid is 0.100 M and the volume is 20.00 mL (convert this to liters by dividing by 1000).
3. Since the reaction is a 1:1 molar ratio, the moles of base required will be equal to the moles of acid calculated in the previous step.
4. Determine the concentration of the base using the formula: \( \text{concentration of base} = \frac{\text{moles of base}}{\text{volume of base in liters}} \). Assume the volume of the base is the same as the volume of the acid for simplicity.
5. Compare the calculated concentration of the base with the given options to identify the correct answer.